Word
Definitions
01excitement about an outcome
B2 · Upper Intermediate Uncountable noun
n. the feeling of excitement or tension you have when you are waiting to find out what happens next in a story or movie.
n. the pleasurable state of anticipation regarding the resolution of a narrative or event.
“The movie kept us in suspense until the very last scene.”
“The director masterfully builds suspense by withholding key information from the audience until the final act of the play.”
Synonyms
Antonyms
02anxiety from uncertainty
B2 · Upper Intermediate Uncountable noun
n. a nervous or worried feeling because you do not know what will happen in a difficult situation.
n. a state of painful or anxious uncertainty while awaiting a decision or outcome.
“The suspense of waiting for the medical results was hard to handle.”
“The long silence from the jury kept the defendant in agonizing suspense for several hours.”
Synonyms
03legal suspension
C2 · Proficiency Uncountable noun Law Formal · Technical
n. a temporary stop or delay in a legal right or process.
n. the temporary cessation or interruption of a right, claim, or legal proceeding.
“The payment of the rent was held in suspense until the owner was found.”
“The court ruled that the property rights would remain in suspense pending the outcome of the probate investigation.”
Usage
Often used in the phrase 'in suspense'.
Synonyms
Antonyms
04a deadline
C1 · Advanced Countable noun American English · Technical
n. a specific date or time when a task must be finished.
n. a fixed time limit or deadline for the completion of a task or report.
“The captain set a suspense for the end of the week to finish the report.”
“All departments must meet the suspense of Friday afternoon to ensure the budget is submitted on time.”
Usage
Commonly used in military or government administrative contexts.
Real-World Examples
“And using an organ as a plot device is smart because suspense is built into the biology: it’s a ticking clock in a cooler.” “Writer-director James Nunn and his team are clearly less interested in developing character than in building suspense with ominous splashes at the edge of the frame.” Etymology
From Middle English suspense, suspence, from Anglo-Norman suspens (as in en suspens) and Old French suspens, from Latin suspēnsus.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
NOUN
ADJECTIVE
Domains
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B2 FirstIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.5.5–6.5TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 4.0–4.572–94TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.785–944
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- B2 · Upper Intermediate
- Updated
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QR code
englishreference.com/q/suspense
「カタカナ語」 data: JMdict (EDRDG), CC BY-SA 4.0